Theater chair



Feb. 10, 1942. J, L; was 2272,505

' THEATER CHAIR Filed May 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 Q Q Q 2 &

y g mimox Jahn [60 5 996,

Feb. 10, 1942. J. L. BlGGs THEATER CHAIR Filed May 25, 1959 3 sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. John [60 fi'ggfi,

ATTORNEY5.

Feb. 10, 1942. J. L. 51665 THEATER CHAIR Filed May 25, 1959 s Sheets-Shee t s ATTOW Patented Feb. 10, 1942 U g ST TENT OFFICE THEATER CHAIR John Leo Biggs, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Leo Moss, Chicago, Ill.

7 Claims.

The invention relates to theater chairs and the like and has reference more particularly to a chair having a movable seat and back and wherein said parts will have movement as a result of the natural shifting of the weight of the person occupying the chair.

In chairs designed for theaters, opera houses and other public auditoriums the depth of the chair and the spacing between rows is necessarily restricted in order to accommodate the largest number of chairs within the space to be occupied by the audience. The present chair has been designed to suit all requirements for use in theaters and the like including the above mentioned limitations as to size and spacing between rows. A further improvement resides in the provision of a horizontally movable seat and a bodily movable back which will readily permit the person occupying the chain to assume an upright sitting position so as to allow unobstructed passage of persons between rows of chairs. In this connection, the movable supporting means for the seat and back of the present chair are constructed and arranged so that the natural shifting of the weight of the person occupying the chair will result in moving the seat from a retracted to an extended position or vice versa.

A further and more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a theater chair which will embody a metal frame approximately rectangular in form and wherein the mechanism for movably supporting the seat and back within the frame are substantially enclosed.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a theater chair of the type described having a movable seat and back and whereby the seat in addition to being movable may be inoperatively positioned in order to facilitate cleaning and sweeping underneath the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair having a movable seat and back and wherein the major portion of the weight of the person occupying the chair will be transferred directly to rolling members.

A further object is to provide a theater chair wherein the seat will have movement in a horizontal plane and the back will be bodily movable so that the latter will at all times assume a natural posture position with respect to the seat.

A further object is to provide a theater chair of the type described which will be equipped with rubber stops for limiting the movement of the seat in both a forward and rearward direction and which will also incorporate means for automatically returning the seat and back to a retracted cured thereto arm rests l3 position and which will maintain the parts in this position as long as the chair remains unoccupied.

With these and various other objects in view the invention may consist of certain novel features' of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts Figure 1 is a sectional view, certain parts being shown in side elevation, of a theater chair embodying the improved features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the present theater chair;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the present chair taken from the rear of the same and which shows in dotted lines certain of the mechanism for adjustably supporting the seat and back;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing only the supporting mechanism of the present chair in order to better illustrate the mode of operation;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the carriage or supporting member for the seat;

Figure 6 is an elevational view showing one of the rolling segments which directly support the transverse member and provide for horizontal movement thereof;

Figure? is a front elevational View of the rolling segment shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the supporting structure for and manner of positioning the rubber stops for limiting movement of the seat in both a forward and rearward direction;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken through the upper part of the back illustrating the pivotal connection for joining the back to the metal frame of the chair; and

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the metal panel which in association with the side wall of the frame or another chair provides a compartment for housing the rolling segments and other parts of the supporting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figures 1, 2 and 3, the present chair comprises a frame 16, preferably formed of metal including a back portion II and respective side portions l2, which side portions at their upper end have suitably seprovided with upholstering M. The frame is substantially rectangular in form and has an open front for access to the seat which is located within the frame, being partly supported from the back portion I I of the same. To facilitate cleaning and sweeping underneath the portion II is cut away at its base to provide a back opening I5. It will be noted that the sides of this back opening are spaced inwardly a distance from the edge for purposes which will be presently brought out.

The supporting mechanism for the movable seat I6 and bodily movable back I8 is partly housed within compartment positioned on the respective sides of the frame, each compartment being formed by a side portion I2 and by a panel 20, Figure 11, associated therewith for the purpose. The upper part 2I of the panel is in direct contact with a side portion so that this part of the frame consists of metal of double thickness which is desirable since the same carries an arm rest I3. The lower portion 22 of the panel is bent so that the same is spaced inwardly with respect to the side portion I2 to form the compartment above mentioned. Within the bottom of each compartment there is located a metal base 23 extending the full depth of the frame and having formed on its upper surface a groove of V-shaped contour 24. Said groove provides a track for the rolling segment 25 which is a section of a complete wheel and which is entirely enclosed by said respective compartment although the transverse rod 26 which connects the two segments to form a unit is visible from the front of the chair. Said rod extends through a horizontal slot 21 formed in the portion 22 of each of the panels 20.

Resting on the segments 25 and having movement as a result of the rolling of the segments is a carriage designated in its entirety by numeral 28, Figure 5, and which includes depending side pieces 30 and a transverse supporting member 3I to which the seat I6 is pivotally fastened by hinges 32. On the underside each depending piece 30 is provided with a groove 33 which forms a track for its segment 25. To maintain proper relation between th parts transverse recesses 34 are formed in each metal base 23 and similar transverse recesses 35 are formed in the lower surface of each depending piece 30. Said recesses receive the pins 36 and 31, respectively,

provided on the opposed peripheries of the rolling segments, as clearly shown in Figure 6. The transverse member 3! of the carriage has screw openings 33 therein for receiving the screws which fasten the hinges 32 to said member. To permit movement of the carriage each panel 20 is slotted at 39 and the transverse member 3I of the carriage extends through these slots.

The movable supporting means for the seat and back of the chair additionally includes hangers having pivotal connection with the back portion I I of the frame. As best shown in Figures 1 and 4 the hangers in the present chair take the form of leverage rods 40 pivotally connecting at M with the back II of the frame and with the carriage 28 through the instrumentality of the links 42. The links 42 at their inner end pivotally connect at 43 with the rear of their respective depending part 30 of the carriage 2B, the said depending part being bifurcated as best shown in Figure 5 for the purpose. The other end of each link 42 is provided with rollers 44 which are adapted to move vertically within a frame member 45 located to the rear of each compartment and suitably secured to the back I I of the frame. The front wall of each frame member 45 has a guide slot 46 to accommodate its respective link 42 and positioned within each frame member at the upper and lower end thereof are blocks 4'! of rubber or other suitable resilient material which act as stops limiting the reciprocating movement of the rollers. The coil spring 48, also located within each frame member 45, is fastened at its lower end to a base member 23 and at its upper end is suitably secured to a link 42 between the rollers 44, as best shown in Figure 9. The tension of the spring is in a direction to draw its respective link 42 downward which locates the carriage and thus the seat I6 in its retracted position.

The back I8 of the present chair is pivotally connected at its lower end through the instrumentality of the metal strap 59 with the carriage, the said strap, as shown in Figure 4, connecting with 9. depending part 30 at 5| and being fixedly secured at its other end to the back. The upper portion of the back is pivotally connected by means of the transverse plate 52, Figure 10, to the said back portion I I of the frame. The plate is recessed at all four edges for the purpose of receiving the hinges 53 and 54, respectively. The hinges 53, which are located at the respective sides of the back I8, provide journalling means for a pivot rod 55 which has connection with the plate intermediate said hinges. In a similar manner the plate 52 pivotally connects with the back II of the frame since the hinges 54 are fixed to said back portion. A pivot rod 4I joins the hinges 54 and the plate is journalled by the rod intermediate the hinges. In order to accommodate the leverage rods 40 the hinges 54 are bifurcated and a leverage rod 40 is located between the spaced portions of each hinge. This pivotal connection of the leverage rods 40 with the back II of the frame locates the rods in relatively close relation to their respective side portions I2 of the frame. Accordingly, said rods are properly aligned with their links 42 to which they connect at their lower end.

When the present chair is unoccupied the seat I6 and back I 8 will be yieldingly held in retracted position by means of the coil springs 48 which draw the rollers 44 and thus the links 42 into their downward position. This retracted position of the seat and back is aided by a weight 56 located on each of the rolling segments 25 and positioned so that the normal tendency of the weight is to rotate the segments and cause travel of the same in a rearward direction. The fact that the present chair normally assumes a retracted position facilitates cleaning or sweeping operations underneath the chair. In this connection, an important structural feature of the present invention resides in the pivotal securement of the seat I6 to the transverse member 3I of the carriage. This pivotal connection com prising the hinges 32, makes it possible for the seat to belocated in an upright or inoperative position as shown in Figure 4. Accordingly, the seat of the present c'hair'is not only movable in a horizontal plane but the seat can also be inoperatively positioned to facilitate sweeping and cleaning underneath the same.

In View of the foregoing it will be understood that the parts of the present chair will be retracted when first occupied. Assuming that the person occupying the chair will have a natural upright sitting position the weight will be centered approximately over the axis 26 of the rolling segments 25 which are in retracted position. Therefore, unless said person shifts his weight the parts of the chair will remain in retracted position. In order to cause movement of the seat forwardly it is only necessary for the person to urge the seat It in a forward direction. Since the parts when supporting the weight of a person in retracted position are approximately in equilibrium Very little urging of the seat forward is required. The large diameter rolling segments 25 are largely responsible for the ease of movement of the seat of the present chair. In this connection, it will be observed that said roll-ing segments are joined by the transverse rod 25 so that said segments in effect comprise a wheel and axle assembly which is mounted and guided by tracks formed on the base members 23. The segments have rotation about their axis, namely, the rod 25, and the assembly as a unit has bodily movement, the extent of which is defined by the length of the slots 27. In the present design of chair this bodily movement of the segments is equal to approximately one-half the full movement of the seat It. The remainder of the movement of seat It comes about by reason of the rotation of the segments since the carriage has contact with the peripheries of the segments. The arcuate motion of the segments is therefore transmitted to the carriage and this accounts for the other half of the full movement of the seat.

As previously stated, the center of the weight when the chair is occupied and the seat retracted is directly over the vertical center line position of the segments 25 as indicated by dotted line y, Figure 1. In this position the transverse member 3| is located just slightly to the rear of the center line position of the segments. In extended position of the seat the center of the weight is slightly back of the vertical center line of the segments 25, which is indicated by dotted line .r, Figure 1', but as shown in said figure the member 3| is beyond this line. This is desirable since the weight of the person in the chair has a natural tendency to maintain the parts in their forward or extended position.

The back It of the present chair may be stated as having bodily movement and which is imparted thereto by the carriage since the metal straps 5t pivotally connect the lower end of the back to the carriage. The connection at the upper portion of the back which links the same with the metal frame has been shown in the present embodiment as a pivotal connection including the plate 52 and the hinges 53 and 54. Without disturbing the mode of operation of the other parts of the present chair a relatively stiff but flexible member could be substituted for the plate 52 providing the swingable connection disclosed and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact structure dis closed in the drawings as any type of movable connection having sufficient stiffness to provide for the limited movement of this portion of the back will be operative.

Only a small portion of the weight of a person occupying the present chair is transmitted to the metal frame since most of the weight is transmitted directly to the floor by the rolling members 25. Whatever weight is placed on the leverage rods to is taken by the pivotal connection 4| with said frame. The links 2, connecting with the leverage rods and having rollers M at their ends, also transmit part of this weight to the frame through said rollers. In addition the travel of the rollers is limited by the resilient blocks 41 which thus limit the forward and rearward movement of theseat. The combination of the leverage rods 46 with the links 42 there-v fore serves a dual purpose. It will be seen that the lower end of the rods lt'move in an arc. However, the seat It moves in a substantially horizontal plane. 'This is possible by reason of the links 42 which in effect smooth out the arc ascribed by the leverage rods and transmit to the carriage a horizontal movement.

,Since the. present. chair is substantially -en-' closed by the metal frame there can be no interference withthe movement of the seat and back by a person in the rear. Also the housing of the rolling segments 25 materially improves the appearance of the chair since itshields the supporting mechanism from view. This housing structureis also desirable in that it is impossible for a person occupying the chair to be injured by accidentally placing his fingers in places where injury may be done as a result of movement of the parts of the chair.

The invention is not to details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the device will'of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chair, a horizontally movable seat and a movable back associated therewith, a frame for said movable seat and back providing arm rests, a carriage to which said seat and back are both secured, supporting means for the carriage including linkage swingably connecting the rear of the carriage to the frame and rolling members of large diameter contacting the respective sides of the carriage at the forward end thereof and extending between the same and the floor, whereby said carriage may have movement in a substantially horizontal plane, means connecting the upper portion of the back with the frame sothat the back may have movement about a horizontal axis, and other means pivotally connecting the lower end of the back with the rear of said carriage.

2. In a chair of the type described, in combination, a frame including side members providingarm rests, a carriage extending between the side members, a seat secured to said carriage, rolling members carried by the frame and supporting the carriage at the respective sides thereof, linkag supporting the rear of the car'- riage from said frame, said linkage having a pivotal connection at on end to the frame and being slidably connected at its other ,end to the frame and having a pivotal connection with the carriage intermediate its ends, whereby the carriage is supported for movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and a back having connection at its upper end with the frame and at its lower end with the carriage.

3. In a chair of the type described, in combination, a frame including side members providing arm rests, a carriage extending between the side members, a seat secured to said carriage, rolling members carried by the frame and supporting the carriage at the respective sides there of, linkage supporting the rear of the carriage from said frame, said linkage having a pivotal connection at one end to the frame and being slidably connected at its other end to the frame and having a pivotal connection with the carriage intermediate its ends, whereby the carriage is supported for movement in a substantially be limited to or-by horizontal plane, means providing a guideway for receiving the slidable end of said linkage and which limits movement thereof, and a back having connection at its upper end with the frame and at its lower end with the carriage.

4. In a chair of the type described, in combination, a frame including a back portion and side members, said side members at their upper ends having arm rests fixed thereto and said members at their lower ends each having a part associated therewith providing a compartment, supporting means within each compartment including a member of large diameter mounted for rolling movement, a carriage extending between the side members and having a portion in contact with the periphery of each rolling member, whereby said carriage will have movement as a result of the rolling movement of the members, linkage supporting the rear of the carriage from the frame, said linkage having a pivotal connection at one end to the frame and being slidably connected at its other end to the fram and having a pivotal connection with the carriage intermediat its ends, a seat secured to the carriage, and a back supported at its upper end by the frame and being pivotally secured at its lower end to the rear of the carriage.

5. In a chair of the type described, in combination, a frame including a back portion and side members, said side members at their upper ends having arm rests fixed thereto and said members at their lower ends each having a part associated therewith providing a compartment, supporting means within each compartment including a member of large diameter mounted for rolling movement, a carriage extending between the side members and having a portion in contact with the periphery of each rolling member, whereby said carriage will have movement as a result of the rolling movement of the members, linkage supporting the rear of the carriage from the frame, said linkage having a pivotal connection at one end to the frame and being slidably connected at its other end to the frame and having a pivotal connection with the carriag intermediate its ends, means fixed to the frame providing a guideway for receiving the slidable end of said linkage and which limits movement thereof to thereby limit the travel of the carriage in a forward and rearward direction, a seat pivotally secured to the carriage, and a back supported at its upper end by the frame and being pivotally secured at its lower end to the rear of the carriage.

6. In a chair of the type described, in combination, a metal frame including a back portion and side members, said side members at their upper end having arm rests fixed thereto and said members at their lower end each having a part associated therewith providing a compartment, supporting means within each compartment in cluding a member of relatively large diameter mounted for rolling movement, means extending between and connecting the rolling members at the center thereof so that the same have movement as a unit, a carriage having a portion in contact with the periphery of each rolling member whereby said carriage is supported in a manner to have movement as a result of the rolling movement of th members, a link member having pivotal connection with the rear of said carriage on each side thereof, means fixed to the frame providing a guideway slidably receiving the free ends of said link members and which limits movement thereof to thereby limit the travel of the carriage in a forward or rearward direction, a pair of hangers each pivotally connecting with the frame at its upper end and with one of said link members at its lower end, a seat secured to the carriage, a back pivotally secured at its lower end to said carriage, and means pivotally joining the upper portion of the back to the frame so that said back may have swinging movement about a horizontal axis.

7. In a chair of the typedescribed, in combination, a frame including side members providing arm rests, a part associated with the lower portion of each side member providing a compartment, supporting means within each compartment including a member of relatively large diameter mounted for rolling movement, means connecting the rolling members at the center thereof so that they move as a unit, a seat supported at its forward end by said rolling members and having rolling contact on said members, means suspending the rear of the seat including linkage swingably connecting the seat to the frame whereby said seat has movement in a substantially horizontal plane as a result of the rolling movement of the members, said rolling members extending from the seat to approximately th floor, and a back having pivotal connection at its lower end to the seat and having connection at its upper portion to the frame so that the back may have swinging movement about a horizontal axis.

JOHN LEO BIGGS. 

